Delhi Police bust private bus service run solely to rob night passengers

The three accused allegedly bought a 23-seater bus, charged cheap fares from Anand Vihar and robbed commuters before abandoning them at isolated spots.

Police on Thursday arrested three men and busted what was an unusually enterprising criminal operation: a private bus service run solely to rob its passengers.

Police say the gang made two to three trips daily, targeting passengers on expressway routes and earning over ₹1 lakh through systematic thefts. (HT)

For nearly two months, the accused operated a 23-seater bus, charging commuters minimal fares to lure them on board. Once the journey began, passengers were threatened, assaulted and robbed before being abandoned at isolated locations, police said.

The bus was deliberately run at night and in the early morning hours to minimise police scrutiny.

Investigators said the gang had purchased the bus specifically to carry out mass robberies. The accused were identified as Yogesh (41), Arshad (46) and Prem Shankar (28).

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Nidhin Valsan said the trio operated the bus on routes from Anand Vihar Railway Station to Rajghat and adjoining areas, earning money through fares and systematic robberies. “We received inputs that miscreants were operating a private bus near Anand Vihar railway station and ISBT, offering unusually cheap fares and later robbing passengers during transit before abandoning them,” he said.

A team led by station house officer Ghanshyam Kishore found that multiple complaints had been filed by victims in central and north Delhi. “We identified the bus through local enquiries. With support from patrolling staff, the team seized the bus near the Rajghat red light,” the DCP said.

Police said the accused were caught “red-handed” while threatening and robbing passengers who were still inside the bus at the traffic signal. Investigators identified Yogesh as the driver and gang leader.

According to investigators familiar with the case details, the bus had been taken on a yearly contract from an unauthorised dealer in Old Delhi about two months ago. Yogesh allegedly paid ₹1,500 a day for the vehicle. “They would lure passengers near the railway station by offering to drop them across central and north Delhi for just ₹30. After boarding, the bus would take the Delhi-Meerut Expressway route, where the passengers were robbed inside the moving vehicle, beaten and threatened,” an officer said.

After robbing everyone on board, the accused would abandon the victims at unfamiliar locations, police added. The gang made two to three trips a day. With a seating capacity of 23, police said they recovered nearly the entire amount spent on renting the bus – about ₹90,000 over two months – through fares alone. [CHECK THIS]

In addition, the accused allegedly robbed passengers of ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 daily. “We estimate they earned over ₹1 lakh in the last two months. Initially, they targeted one or two passengers left inside the bus, but later began robbing everyone,” the officer said.

Senior officers said the operation was carefully timed to coincide with periods of low police deployment. While Yogesh drove the bus, Arshad and Prem Shankar acted as conductors and helpers, assaulting passengers during the robberies.

Police records show that Yogesh is involved in at least three other criminal cases, including assault, robbery and offences under the Arms Act, registered in east and west Delhi.